13th of November: 3 hours before the lesson.
Stood outside the McClay after casting my CV out upon an ocean of emails, I took a 5-minute break. Are all the placements gone? Will I have to change modules? Have I left it too late? These anxieties filled my head, I wished to find a fulfilling on-set placement in the film industry that could offer me a wealth of experience in a professional setting, but as time passed, I became uncertain if I would find anything at all. However, using these anxieties as fuel I searched down the Queen’s registry of potential placement leads and found a phone number for Lamb Films. Before calling I had my speech prepared, detailing all my prior work in film, summarising my experience in a concise manner, I called expecting no response then suddenly,
“Hello, my name is Oliver Sadlier, I am currently a final ye-”
“Sorry mate, can I call you back? I’m dropping my kid to school now is that sweet?”
I was deflated, my last-ditch attempt was snubbed before I even got to deliver my triumphant speech. I walked back into the library defeated, I collected my laptop and left. As I returned home, I assumed the worst, this was it, I failed at achieving a placement and as soon as this thought entered my head it was abruptly interrupted by a phone call. It was Larry, he apologised for the hasty nature of the call earlier and was extremely appreciative that I phoned and took a chance. He asked me to honestly discuss why I decided to reach out to Lamb Films, I spoke truthfully and told Larry that I was looking for a company where I could be offered the opportunity to experiment with an array of different departments, expanding my skillset. As Gregory states those who are successful in the film industry, ‘have the right mix of skills, aptitudes, knowledge and experience’ (2008, 37) therefore I hoped my placement could offer me a wide variety of opportunity. Furthermore, I elaborated stating that my primary motivation was to gain experience in a professional setting, no matter the context. Originally, I approached potential placements with a fixation on achieving on-set experience, however, after speaking with Larry for over an hour he detailed an opportunity he could offer with his company, the Belfast Film Academy.
The Belfast Film Academy is an organisation that offers 12-week introductory crash courses on filmmaking ranging from beginner to advanced levels in the industry. Larry explained that at the summation of the course that a short film would be produced by members of the class through our guidance, furthermore he offered me any role within the production that I wished to experiment with, and I would also receive a production credit for a professionally produced short film that could be added to my CV. I graciously accepted, excited about this fantastic prospect and enormously relieved that my effort had amounted. The academy holds classes from 19:30 to 21:30 every Monday night, my role in these classes would be to craft presentation slides and act as a teaching assistant, sharing my knowledge and experience within the industry. However, Larry posed a daunting task, on a randomly selected week I must prepare, teach, and present a 1-hour long class on a topic of my choice. Before I knew it, 8 weeks of the filmmaking class had swiftly passed, after shadowing Larry I learned to be more confident in my contributions, the intimidating idea of teaching became more manageable.
13th of November: 3 hours before the lesson.
Utilising the analytical framework of Gibb’s reflective cycle, I will assess how I confronted the challenge of teaching a comprehensive class in a professional environment.
“Tonight. I’m gonna need an hour from you.”
Larry said over the phone.
I began preparing my lesson plan, my topic of choice was editing as I have a wealth of experience. I opened a new PowerPoint and segmented it into sections, our classes prior tended to be more informal therefore, I intentionally incorporated visuals into my presentation that I could present and have the class engage with. Upon completing the slides, I felt confident in my ability to elaborate on the brief points, relying on my ability to tailor my lesson to students on the spot as I anticipated a lot of questions. Over the weeks of crafting lessons via PowerPoint format, I developed a proficiency for incorporating my own experiences into classes, thus I filled my presentation with many editing examples that I produced.
13th of November 18:30: 1 hour before the lesson.
In the foyer of the Crescent Arts Centre, I await Larry’s arrival, scouring through my material repeatedly, I began feeling nervous. Questioning whether my presentation would fill the allocated 1 hour, I frantically worked and developed my points in greater detail. I began doubting my ability to present and then Larry unexpectedly walked through the door. Larry walked over to examine my slides. As he browsed through my work, he was silent, I wondered if it would suffice. Finally, he reassured me stating,
“That’s really good.”
I felt a weight had been lifted, Larry had reiterated that my work was more than sufficient and that I had been overthinking the process. I used the remaining hour before the class to brush up and fine tune my lesson. Before I knew it the hour had passed, Larry and I are now set up, my presentation ready. Larry welcomed the students in and informed the class that I finally would be presenting my first lesson.
Larry and I welcoming students into the lesson.
13th of November 19:30: The Lesson.
I was extremely anxious; I took a deep breath and began. Finishing my first slide suddenly my anxieties had been alleviated, I was able to relax and focus upon delivering my lesson. As my presentation continued, I gradually became more at ease and confident in my teaching, responding to questions about the differences in editing software and helping students decide what software was most suitable for them. I felt comfortable and began to enjoy the challenge of teaching. Furthermore, incorporating older editing projects of mine was a great tool for teaching, as I was able to analyse and reflect upon my shortcomings whilst exhibiting techniques that are more effective. I found that I had lost track of time during my teaching, engaging with the class, I was no longer consciously thinking of the imposed time limit, instead I was focused on articulating my ideas poignantly and in a comprehensible manner. Before I knew it, my lesson had concluded, and class was dismissed.
13th of November 22:00: Reflection
Before I began assisting Larry in the Belfast Film Academy, teaching was not even a prospect that crossed my mind. I felt anxious and uncertain of my ability to speak in public settings with confidence, I didn’t trust in my ability to co-ordinate a coherent lesson, that would be valuable and informative. I wasn’t comfortable in a leadership position in which my word would be examined. However, after 8 weeks of Larry’s tutelage I developed greater assertiveness, I could confront the challenge and embrace the difficulties. Larry’s relaxed yet focused teaching style inspired me to approach teaching in a light-hearted manner. The experience itself was illuminating, I was greatly forced out of my comfort zone. The task was proposed to me only 3 hours before I would have to deliver my lesson, which was stressful, however I did not allow this to overwhelm me instead I welcomed the pressure and was appreciative as this was a great test of my resolve. I learned that teaching is a discursive space in which I could apply my personality and impression. The opportunity for creative expression was an aspect of teaching that I had greatly underappreciated, as my most cherished memories of this experience came from my interactions with the class. I purposefully encouraged discourse, which gifted me the opportunity to further explain my ideas with specificity, the unscripted communication between my students and I was extremely exciting and surprisingly enjoyable.
This was a very informative learning experience for me, broadening my horizon regarding future employment opportunities. Originally, I was narrow-minded and only considered a career that was specific to working on film productions. However, I have now developed an appreciation for the difficulties of teaching, excited by opportunities within the educational sector. The class is for students interested in entry level filmmaking, therefore my analysis of editing technique and style had to be digestible and understandable, I believe that I suffered from my lack of awareness this as at times the topics I discussed became convoluted. Furthermore, the lack of notice I was given meant that my preparation of the lesson was rushed and topics at times were disjointed, my time management could have been better, moving forward I will adopt one of the good habits that McMillan encourages getting, ‘into a work routine’ by making ‘time for library study or working on a project’ (2013, 100).
If I were to approach this experience again, I would organise well in advance of my lesson, to allow my class to have a more confluent flow that would steer clear from any convolutions, illustrating my thoughts with more relevant examples from popular film to create a greater comprehension of a topic filled with intricate detail. Ultimately, I am extremely proud of how I performed under this strenuous circumstance, I learned how to cope with pressure, exhibit patience and organise a lesson confidently in a professional environment. Overall, this experience was extremely beneficial toward future careers, as Davies and Sigthorsson write ‘experience tends to be valued over formal qualifications in many sectors of the creative industries’ (2013, 92) this task opened my eyes to new opportunity and can be utilised to diversify my portfolio and improve my employability.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Davies, R. and Sigthorsson, G. (2013) Introducing the Creative Industries: From Theory to Practice. London: SAGE. pp.92.
Gregory, G., Healy, R., Mazierska, E. (2008) Careers in Media and Film: The Essential Guide. Los Angeles: Sage. pp. 37.
McMillan, K. and Weyers, J. (2013) How to Improve your Critical Thinking & Reflective Skills. Harlow: Pearson. pp.100.